1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to mounting a power module to a photovoltaic module, and, in particular, to flexibly mounting a power module to a photovoltaic module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solar panels, or photovoltaic (PV) modules, convert energy from sunlight received into direct current (DC). In some solar power systems, the PV modules may be coupled to power modules, such as DC-DC converters or DC-AC inverters, in a distributed architecture; i.e., one power module per PV module. In such systems, each power module may be mounted to the face (i.e., backsheet surface or superstrate) of the corresponding PV module.
Over the life of the PV module, the PV module experiences mechanical stress due to a variety of conditions, such as weather and temperature, transporting the PV module, or even a person (such as a PV system maintenance worker) walking on installed modules. The mechanical and thermal loads applied to the PV module will flex or bow (out of plane) or elongate or shrink (in plane) the PV module relative to the mounted components, causing the potential for significant out-of-plane and in-plane loads to develop due to attached components such as a power converter. Such extraneous loads cause stress at the bonds between the PV module and the power module, and may damage one or both of the PV module and the attached components such as a mounted power module and related attachment components (e.g., the mounting hardware and related adhesively mounted interface). For example, such extraneous loads may result in excessive stress on a power module electrical connector coupled to the PV module, causing the electrical connector to crack.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus for effectively (for both mechanical and thermal effects) mounting a power converter to a PV module.